Trew to the Game #5: The State of New Jerseys

In 2005 the state of New Jersey wanted a new state slogan. The five finalists were revealed, the people voted and all was happy. The eventual winner was “Come See For Yourself” which you actually can see for yourself right here, courtesy of a still standing tall Governor’s Action website. What about the other four finalists? What does this have to do with the Pelicans? Re-read that state slogan and scroll down, mate.

New Jersey: The Best Kept Secret

Some think Jrue Holliday accidentally spilt the beans in this July 25th SI.com post when he said “The color scheme is dope. I’ve seen the jersey a little bit, the release is August 1. I’m excited.” This info has not been confirmed by, um, anyone (publicly), but that’s not stopping the masses from getting all riled up. This would be the second time the Pellies (what up, Zach Lowe) leaked key info in a low stakes interview environment. Remember late last November when Gayle Benson revealed the team colors in a pre-game interview? Everyone was all, “wait wait wait, what” since we’re not used to news breaking that way anymore, I suppose.

Therefore, maybe Jrue is referring to something else entirely, like some special players-only luncheon when everyone gets together and puts on modeling shows for one another. But then again he did say the release is August 1st. But he also said that he’s seen a “little bit” of it. Was there a special players-only luncheon where they revealed “little bits” of the jersey?

New Jersey: Expect the Unexpected

Uh-oh. Pretty much every aspect of the rebrand has been pain-free for most of us. We’re on board with the logo, we love the alternates, the court is cool, the color scheme is dope (what up, Jrue). We’re just waiting on those jerseys. I expect the jerseys to be fresh, fly and fancy all at the same time. I do not expect them to look like anything you would ever see on this page. I’m cautiously optimistic about this major rebrand puzzle piece. More Cleveland 2013, less Cleveland every other year.

New Jersey: Love at First Sight

What will the initial reaction be to the jerseys? This is the internet and people love to hate on the internet (what up, haters) so it’s likely the initial reaction will be “everyone hates the jerseys” even if only a vocal minority is displeased. So remember, internet, it’s important to shout loudly into your megaphone how excited you are about our new laundry. Get your jersey and wear it in the club. Wear it to Grandma’s birthday dinner. Wear it on a first date. It’s important to practice Pelican pride 24/7 (what up, old website). It’s also important to get Grandma a birthday present. She probably prefers Jason Smith, he’s tall. Old women love tall men.

EDIT: Jason Smith the jersey, not the human being

New Jersey: The Real Deal

Most importantly, these jerseys signify a huge part of the rebrand – it’s real. We’ve seen the court on our computer, but not in person. We’ve tried on all the hats and shirts but the NBA jersey is where it’s at. We drove ourselves crazy with all those insane fan created Pelican logos. Luckily there hasn’t been as many jersey mocks, probably because all the graphic design majors are on Summer vacation.

Rest assured, pretty soon this page is going to be stocked with the reveal. It’s like birthday time, what with all the wondering about what’s in that box and will I like it and how will I pretend to like it if I don’t and do I return it or just bite my tongue forever and ever. Don’t bother holding on to those receipts though – the New Orleans Pelicans brand is final. No refunds, no exchanges. Happy birthday, Pelicans fans. I got you a Grandmama.

Chris Trew is a New Orleans-based comedian and improv comedy teacher. He is performing this Tuesday in New Orleans (Howlin’ Wolf Den, 8:30p), Wednesday in Lafayette (Side Bar, 10:00p) and Friday in New Orleans (The New Movement, 10:30p). Trew 2 the Game appears every Tuesday exclusively on Bourbon Street Shots.